wow.  i mean really, wow.  i’ve got a soft spot for feather necklaces, as you can see here.  a little online browsing yesterday and i came across this one.  love.

this past weekend i had the good fortune to meet mollie dash.  mollie is a brooklyn based artist who has recently launched a new online shop called everbrite mercantile.  such a cool and eclectic collection of goods.  see two of my favorites below and check out everything they have to offer here.

surprise packages in the mail are just about as good as it gets.  don’t you think?

when the ups truck pulled up in front of my house i figured he was dropping off a package for one of my neighbors. but no, he was bringing a delivery to me! a lovely and very unexpected birthday gift from a dear friend of mine.

this great card from nightowl papergoods.  it’s printed on wood!  i just adore it.

and this absolutely stunning necklace from dhara design.  this photo doesn’t do it justice really.  but you can see more of their work here.

thanks h, you made my day!

i’m constantly being inspired by jewelry.  what i’m drawn to is usually more flamboyant and eccentric than anything i might actually wear.  big, bold, layered, feathered.  i love them all!

the work of marquis & camus is truly amazing.  each piece has such attention to detail and i love how they mix the old with the new.  i’ve posted a few that i love below but really the entire website is full of inspiring jewelry.  definitely worth taking a look.

better late than never?

the renegade craft fair in chicago was held the weekend of sept. 12 & 13.  i’ve been meaning to post photos but time is just moving too quickly lately.

what a great show it was!  i had participated in renegade in brooklyn but this was my first time in chicago.  so much talent, it was both humbling and inspiring.  i felt lucky to be in such good company.  i was able to walk around a bit on sunday and i so wish i could have spent more time than i did.  a few snaps of things that caught my eye below.

these great pillows from k studio. i’ve been a long time fan and it was so nice to meet shelly.  she was very warm and talking with her made me like her work even more.

amazing work from uncommon, who were also my booth neighbors.  jesse and vincent were great and i loved getting to chat with them throughout the weekend.  i wanted pretty much one of everything.

these sweet pillows from blue thimble. i was especially fond of the snail one (big surprise) and thought they’d make a great children’s gift.

earrings from cursive design.  all of sarah’s jewelry is amazing.

i had never heard of urban posture before but i loved everything in their booth. it was so crowded i was barely able to take any photos but managed to snap this one of a really cool clock.

i forgot to bring my camera with me to renegade!  such a bummer!  although not surprising since i was like a lunatic those last few days leading up to the show. so i don’t have any photos from the event but you’ll just have to trust me when i say we had the most perfect fair weather.  ever.  this is my third year doing renegade and the first time i did not experience torrential rain and/or extreme heat.  hooray!

so no photos from the show but i do have photos of things i bought at the show :)

i had mentioned in a previous post that i wanted to get a little case for my business cards.  i found a beautiful one at jewelweeds booth.  i love julia’s work, it’s all so beautiful and has such a soft, soothing appeal to it.

a ring from erica weiner.  it’s perfectly thin and delicate.  i love it!

this amazing bird from fern animals.  this is my second fern animal bird, you can see pics of the one i bought last year here.  i love ashley’s work.  everything she makes is so well crafted and her attention to detail is amazing.  look at that wing and tail!

and c bought an owl for himself from lauren alane.  last year he bought rosalee for me but decided he wanted a little boy bird for himself.

i opened my email this morning to find a message from becky kelso saying that they had updated their website.  how exciting!  becky is one of my all time favorite jewelry designers.

while i was attending school i worked at the clay pot in brooklyn.  they carry becky’s jewelry so i was lucky enough to buy three of her rings during the time that i worked there.  if money were no object i would certainly add a few more pieces.

some of my current faves:

how amazing is this dress from better than jam? the neckline makes me swoon.

and with a neckline like that there’s no need for a lot of jewelry. i’d add just one fun cocktail ring like this one from yourself.

this clutch from girl by Aileen is the perfect size.

and vintage ferragamo shoes from the dusty dog.

i’m fairly certain this is the most amazing necklace i’ve ever seen. and it’s reasonably priced! but where in the world would i wear it? can’t say it fits in with the thick wool sweaters that have become my uniform since moving to the catskills.

i’ve noticed acorns popping up all over the place lately!

generally speaking west elm is not my go to place for home decor. but i saw this jar in the latest catalogue and i have to admit i’m smitten -

the sweetest bird house from anthropologie -

acorn candle from pier one -

and this necklace from wendy brandes. how cute is that? you don’t see a gold squirrel too often.